Method for reproducing marble and wood grain surfaces



Aug.v 26, 1930. v V, CAST@ 1,773,948

METHOD FOR REPRODUCING MARBLE AND'WOOD GRAIN SURFACES Filed March 28, 1928 k "Y1-:cial

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gwhtoc trolling the Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNITED sTA'rEsrArl-:Nr ori-Ica LLOYD v. GASTO, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB T THE QXFORD VABNIBH POBATION, OF .'DETBQI'JJ, MICHIGAN, A CORPOBATIN '0F MICHIGAN y METHOD FOR BEPRODUCING MARBLE AND WOOD GRAIN SURFACE! l Application led Iaroh 28, 1928. Serial No. 285,328.

This invention `is concerned with the art of reproducing the natural appearances of surfaces such as marble slabs, wooden panels and the 'like on slabs of dissimilar materials 5 and has for-its general object an improved method of utilizing a transfer pattern taken from a printing surface photographically de' rived from the original surface to be simulated and a colored finishing coat. .By conigmental or color environment of the trans er when being vapplied to the surface being finished the full tone, half tone and quarter tone color contrasts between the ground color or the color of a ground 15 coating of pigment, the sharp contrasts between the transfer color and the ground collor can be subdued or varied at will without destroying the detail present in a transfer pattern derived in the manner referred to.

apparent from the following description relating to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown in diagrammatical cross-section the mode of application of my process. The essential characteristics thereof will be summarized in the claims.l v

In the drawings, Fig 1 is a diagrammatic cross sectional representation of a slab material, the surface of which is to be treated b the use of my rocess, and represents the slab with an application of the ound coat thereto; Fi 2 is a diagrammatic representation simi ar to Fig. 1, but including two transfer patterns applied to the ground coat; Fig. 3 is a lrepresentation of the slab with the surface thereof completely finished or sealed. Myinvention contem lates the improvement of the method o applying grainin transfers such as marble grains, woo grains, etc. to surfaces being finished in sim'ulation of [the surface appearance of the natural object by following generally the now well known process of grain reproduction lby the use of a photographically derived .pattern formin surface; but I modify the last step in t e finishing process to the exten-t that the heretofore final coating, usually a clear varnish or lacquer is treated with a suitable coloring matter such as an Other objects of my invention will become aniline dye to give this otherwise transpar ent coating a color which will impart to the surface tonal depth and will serve tol blend the full tone, half tone and quarter tone contrasts between the ground coating and the ain pttern colors. I find this can be efected in a readily practical manner by using a clear' lacquer plgmentedto translucency with an aniline dye. I choose to mix a soluble aniline dye ofredetermined color selection to impart to t e lacquer a color which when superposed over the ground coat and varying tonal contrasts between the ground coat and color of the transfer will represent one of the natural general tones of the original surface being simulated. v

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I diagrammatically show in cross section a slab 10, the sur'- face 11 of which may have applied thereto a ground coating 12 as a base for the finish, which ground coating .may be serviceable as a filler and support for a grain transfer, the color of this ground coat being also determined with care. The grain transfer'may be taken from a pattern forming surface ,which is photographically derived through the making of a negative of the natural slab such as marble or wood, and I may then reproduce from the negative 'a half tone or photogravure printing surface 'in the well known manner and which will be suitable for forming the transfer. I recommend a rinting surface derived in the manner set orth in the patent to Saalburg No. 923,799 issued June 1, 1909, lmown as photogravure plate or roll surface formation.

The grain pattern may be removed from such a surface by the use of a resilient take- 0E roll. A roll carrying such transferred pattern may then be passed over'the groundl coat 12 and thus deposit thereon the grain pattern layer of pigment 13, the igment or ink forming the transfer being sel, care to approximate as nearly as possible-one of the natural grain colors of the original slab surface being reproduced.

In some cases I prefer to superpose one transfer over another, particularly when reected with 1 transfer layer 14, itbeing obvious that the transfers are not applied to the groundcoat until the ground coat is suliciently dry to receive the first transfer, the latter bein dried before the second transfer is applie the drying period such time as .is necessary for the transfers to become sufficiently dr tolphysically preserve the grain lines thereo then select a suitable aniline color of such chemical composition as to be readily soluble in 'a clearv varnish or lacquer, and which colo will effect a blending of the ground color and the quarter tone, halftone and full tone shades Aof the transfer, the anilinecolor selected being a matter of personal judgment to those skilled in the art. l p

In some instances particularly wherea shaded butt walnut surface is being reproduced and it is desired to have the center of the pattern generally of lighter shade than the border, this ma be effected by rubbinfg down the pigmente lacquer to obtain the e fect'desired `and thereafter a linal coatin of clear -lacquer or varnish may be ap lie to give the desired protection to the un erlying reproduced grain. This decrease in coating` cross section is illustrated at 18 in Fig. 3 o the lacquer layer 16. Such a layer of lacquer. will produce a general tonal variation relatively light at the center 18 and graduating to a much darker thickness of the pigmented lacquer layer.

l lasting and the color effect de l used 1n t is repr uc.-

usino an aniline It will be apparent that n dye in the finishing coat, nish or lacquer, a wide range of varyin effects in tonal blending may be obtained an the reproduced surface will be durable and.

ending u on quality of materials tion process. The surface 'may then be coated with a clear lacquer or varnish finish 20 if Y desired.

A simulated surface reproduction effected in the manner described will have a tonal depth which completely eliminates the optical effect of flatness and a degree of light refraction is obtained, which eliminates glaze when the surface is Liewed at an angle by the observer.

I claim:

v1. The process of re reducing the natural appearance of materia s upon the surfaces of dissimilar materials, which comprises first applying a ground coat to the surface of the 'material being treated, the ground coat having a color which when subsequently covered with an overlying open transfer will produce some of the natural tones of the surface being imitated, applying to said ground coat a transfer taken from a hotographically deri ved grain pattern of t e original or natural surface being simulated, then applying to Y said surface a-finishing coat of translucent the lacquer or lacquer or varnish, rubbingl h k ing coat t ic varnish to reduce'the finis tone 17 due to the greater v p ness over part of the underlying attern to thereb vary the general tonal e ect of the repro uced surface, whereby 'said finishin coat will impart tothe surface being treate a blending effect and thus subdue the sharp full tone, half tone and quarter tone color contrasts between the ground coat and the transfer pattern and finally applying a protective coating of transparent lacquer or varnish to the entire surface.

2. The process of reproducing the natural appearance of materials upon the surfaces of slabs of dissimilar materials, which comprises first applyin a ground color to the surface being treate applying an open pattern transfer taken from a photographically derived grain pattern of the original or natural surface being simulated to t e surface being treated, then blendin the full tones, half tones and quarter tones o the transfer by the use of ajcoating of translucent sealing and finishing materlal such as lacquer or va carrying a suitable dye, said coating having avai-ying thickness, whereby said finishing coat will impart to a blending effect-between the full tone, half tonev and'quarter Atone contrasts between the ground color and the transfer pattern tones.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ailix my LLOYD V. GASTO.

t at is' 1n the vara the surface being treate 

